The Tony's

So I did not get to watch the Tony Awards this year, but I did watch some of the performances on youtube, and I saw the award winners online. I am not sure how I feel about some of the winners this year.

I completely agree with some of the winners, like "Death Of A Salesman" winning best revival of a play, and "Newsies" winning best choreography. There were many actors and wonderful artists that were recognized as they should have been.

However, I must say that Jeremy Jordan did TWO shows this Tony season, and after seeing clips, and listening to songs from both "Bonnie and Clyde" and "Newsies" he totally deserved to win best performance by a leading male in a musical. I have looked at Steve Kazee in "Once", and I am thoroughly unimpressed with his performance, and the show.

Granted! I haven't seen it live, but if the videos I have looked at are any representation, how did it win best new musical?! I just don't get it.

I know I don't live in New York, and I don't really get an accurate representation of the shows nominated, but sometimes I worry about what is happening with this business I love so much. I might just go to New York and start bitch slapping people, until they get their shit together.

Changes

I have been using this blog as a way to write about my expereinces teaching, but I am no longer teaching. From here on out I am going to use it as a way of speaking my mind about the theatre business, my experiences in theatre, and what ever else I want to bitch about.

I am super excited about starting my life in a new city, and to be able to get back to the stage. For the past several years I have been putting off being on the stage in order to help my students perfect their skills, and I think a nice way of getting back to the stage will be to write a one man show.

"A one man show? Is he mad? Does he think he is Jack McFarland?" These are all valid questions you may ask yourself. And the answer are; "Yes." "No." and "Bitch please."

I have always wanted to try my hand at writing, and have been playing around with a play for several years now. I have had some pretty crazy life experience for only being 24, and I think some awesome monologues enhanced with songs from my favorite musicals is just what I want to start with. Just me and a microphone on the stage. Oh, and a piano player because, lets face it, I SUCK at piano.

Now don't go crazy asking when the show is happening, I haven't even started writing it. I know you are saying to yourself; "OMG he's doing a one man show and I'm so excited because he is so FAB! U! LOUS!" Well this is all true, but before you pee your pants with anticipation, let a homo write for a few months, and find a venue, and rehearse songs. I promise that when it is all put together, you will be the first to know.

Until then, feel free to stalk me. BUT! If you are going to stalk me you must sing "On My Own" from Les Miserables. Why? Because it's the ULTIMATE stalker song. Deal with it.

The Beggining of The End....or something

As the school year is winding down, so are all of the activities. Rehearsals are becoming more laid back, kids are ready for summer; as am I. We are getting ready for our last performance of the year. Next Thursday we will host our final banquet, and our workshop performances.

We will be featuring two shows at our workshop, and I can feel the excitement from the kids, as we are finally doing dramas rather than comedys. Both shows are so impactful, and I know that the kids are going to really touch the audience, because they move me everyday in rehearsal.

I have been so priviledged to work with these extremely talented kids. I know that so many of them will go on to fantastic careers on the stage.

At risk of sounding like a sentamental sap, I have grown to love these kids and if I don't get to stay next year I will miss them dearly. Lets all cross our fingers that I get to stay and continue working with them and helping to harvest their talent.

I have this feeling that I am at the beggining of the end. Or possibly and the end of the beggining. Either way, it is a wonderful feeling.

I'm not exactly sure what this post accomplished, but here it is. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Quotes

So here lately I have been pretty busy, but my students have made some excellent remarks. I will share them with you, because they are that fantastic.

We are doing a play about Japanese internment camps during WWII and one line in the play is "Whos is the enemy?!" To which a student responded "Jesus."

The students were talking about my slight coffee addiction and one of them said "Dunlap, I think Hitler would have run away from you before coffee."

We were discussing The Scottish Play one day and this is the conversation that happened.
-Student: "Don't say his name in the theatre, Mr. Dunlap will kill you."
-Me: "No I won't. The theatre gods will. Do not anger them."

A student was speaking to me about her fellow thespians and this is what she said.
-Student: "He just annoys the crap out of me and I want to punch him."
-Me: "You can't punch him. What you need to realize is he's a good kid, he just needs to pull his head out of his...."
-Student: "Coffee cup."
-Me: "Exactly."

-Me: "He guys, Liza Minelli is being given a special award for Life Time Acheivement in dance and theatre!"
-Student: "Who is Liza Minelli."
-Me: "Someone educate him before he kills me."

I was speaking with collegues about being in the hall between classes and this is what was said.
-Me: "When you stand here and they walk by, do you ever just want to push them into a wall?"
-Collegue: "All the time."
-Me: "Oh good, I'm not alone."

So a collegue and I were discussing songs we wanted to sing.
-Collegue: "I wanted to do something! What did I want to do?!"
-Me: *off handed* "Little GIrls."
-Studnet: "um................."
-Me: "The song from Annie!!!! Not like that!!!"

I love that my students are so out there, and hilarious. I may start writing all of their funnies down and publish a book. Just a thought. I hope you enjoyed.

"Straight ginger"

So, as most of you know, I have curly hair and have been keeping red for a while now. Periodically I will straighten my hair. So last week I starightened my hair, and went to school. Needless to say it was a new experience for the kids, but the really funny part came in choir.

As the students are getting set on the risers, one girl asked to touch my hair. I told her no, and she goes off on this tangent about how weird I look with straight hair. So she has been going on for a while when she finally says, "You're a curly ginger, not a straight ginger!"

Everyone in the room stops for a second and then burst out laughing. She didn't realize why it was so funny, until someone pointed out that she had made a gay joke. I couldn't help but look at her and say "You're right, I am deffinitely not a straight ginger."

Some days the students really shock me with how open minded they are. You can never judge a play by its opening scene.

New projects

Since wrapping our last performance, we have come back from spring break and begun work on our next project. We are preparing for our spring awards banquet. In all of my brilliant genius I have decided that we will do it as an awards show, complete with short plays. To avoid me directing everything I decided we would have student directed plays. The kids are totally stoked!

One of my senior girls is directing a two person play about a cop with the Teatre Department going to arrest a deranged playwright. It's rather hilarious. This is her directorial debut, and she already shows promise. I am super excited to see how she works.

My other senior director is doing a play about an American man and Arabian woman and the Interpreter that helps them communicate. The play is all in English which makes it even funnier. This is also a direcorial debut by the coolest little hippie student I have. She made me homemade granola. I fucking love my job.

And the final play is a directorial debut from one of my freshman girls. She is so ridiculously talented its stupid. Her play is about two girls making a frined of theirs hold his breath for three minutes while the sun comes up. It's rather silly, but pretty fun.

On top of the student directed plays, I am doing a piece with the remaining students about bullying and teen violence. The group has been doing comedies for the last several years so I think doing something dramatic will be good for them.

I am also doing a special play with the seniors entitled "Antigone's Red". It is a short 10 minute play about the Japanese internment camps of WWII. The kids love it, and I thinnk they are going to able to do amazing things with it.

The kids are really excited about the final performance and so am I! It's going to be a fantastic way to end the school year!!!

Opening Night

When the morning of the show dawned I was excited and restless. I had about 40 billion things to do before we could have a show.

After school my cast and crew showed up and starrting preparing for the show. Backstage was alive with excitement.

The audience took their seats and dinner was served. After dinner the remianing audience that didn't want a meal was seated.

I welcomed everyone and made my thank you's in my curtain speech and then the show started. As the lights came up, it was like a magic spell was cast over the theatre. Everything was pure perfection, not one cue was missed, nor one line dropped. You would have thought that they were on the stage at the Shubert Theatre, not in an auditorium at Morenci High School. I could not believe the priase I recieved after the show.

And then my students came to me after the show with a dozen yellow roses, and a program they had all signed. I cried, it was such a beautiful moment.

No matter where life takes me, or what I do, I will always remember these wondrful students.